right in my pocket, and----"

"I'll fix that up with you," answered the hotel man, in a whisper.
"Come on. We can come back later." And then the hotel man said
something to the driver of the wagon. The latter merely nodded and got
back to his seat. Jason Sparr climbed up beside him, and the constable
slowly followed.

"I don't understand----" went on the constable; but Jason Sparr merely
pinched his arm, and he stopped short.

"Just remember, this ain't settled yet!" cried the hotel-keeper, to
Dave and Roger. "I'm going to look into it a bit deeper before I make
a move, that's all. I know some of you done it, and I'll have you in
prison for it yet, see if I don't!" And he shook his head grimly; and
then the covered wagon was turned around, and the three men drove off
in the direction of Oakdale.

"Oh, Dave, do you think they'll come back?" cried Roger, when the men
were out of hearing.

"There is no telling what they will do, Roger. But you can make up
your mind to one thing--Sparr won't come back until he has more
evidence than he has at present."

"But how can he get evidence? Surely you don't think Phil and the
others guilty, even if they did run away."

"No, I think Phil and the others are as innocent as we are. But I
can't understand some things. Somebody used that dynamite and somebody
wrote a letter to Sparr about us. The question is, Who was it?"

"Could it be Nat Poole?"

"I don't think Nat would be bad enough to try to blow up a hotel."

"It certainly was an awful thing to do." Roger drew a long breath.
"What shall we do now, go back to school?"

"We might as well. If we don't, old Haskers will be after us again."

"Do you think Phil and the others will come back?"

"Why not? As soon as they have time to think it over they'll realize
it is best to face the music," answered Dave.

He and Roger returned to Oak Hall. They had missed one class, but
fortunately that was one presided over by Mr. Dale, and he readily
excused them when they said they had had some personal matters of
importance to attend to, and would explain later.

"It is bound to come out, sooner or later," said Dave to his chum. "So
we might as well take Doctor Clay and Mr. Dale into our confidence."

"I suppose you are right," answered the senator's son. Nevertheless,
he heaved a deep sigh, as he thought of what might be the outcome of
the trouble. What if, after all, Jason Sparr should concoct some sort
of evidence against the